SONE Publications

NIA UK | Decision must be taken on UK SMR programme

Commenting on the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report, Nuclear research and technology: Breaking the cycle of indecision, Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), said:

“The NIA shares the frustration of the Committee that the first stage of the Government’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) competition has been left hanging in the air, and that the roadmap industry was promised last autumn seems to have got lost somewhere in Whitehall.

“With a potential global market for SMRs valued at £250-£400bn, the Government must provide clarity as soon as possible after the general election if the energy, industrial and export opportunities of a UK SMR are to be realised. Otherwise that promising opportunity of recent years will be lost to others, including the US, Canada and China, who are progressing with SMR development programmes.

“The report also highlights the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom and takes on one of the NIA’s recommendations to set up a working group with both industry and Government representation to help develop a strategy to maintain the benefits of the UK’s Euratom membership. This recommendation along with those spelt out by the BEIS Committee need to be acted upon to ensure enough time is allowed for the UK and the EU to agree on robust alternative arrangements and avoid a cliff edge.”